Rach, You don't even need an answer - you got it right. The heart rate going up is one of the first indications that you are not doing well. If you had an oximeter, you would probably see that your O2 stats are going down too.
Maurice, Thanks for putting that info up there. I was too tired to retrieve it last night.
Here's a tip about the French, and I'm being serious here. They like people who are "proper" and formal. That's why Americans are sometimes not received well over there. They like to have us treat them formally and then they feel we respect them. It's often the opposite over here, where informality is more accepted. But, hey, you probably already knew that too!
So start learning some simple etiquette like Bon Jour, Merci Beaucoup, etc. Even though Pr. Eymard speaks English, I'll bet he would like you to make an effort.

If you end up going, that is.
Annie